A Tale of Twins
by LouisDaGreat
Summary: In the region of Ransei, all hell breaks loose when the region goes into a massive war. It's every kingdom for itself. Hiro and Yeo are new Warlords in Aurora and it seems only they can stop the force in the north. Will they be able to unite the eighteen kingdoms of Ransei and save the region from plummeting into darkness forever?
1. Prologue

"Come on, come on!" The sound of a young girl's voice echoed through the forest as she sprinted past the trees. Behind her, a young boy of the same age was chasing after her. He was clearly exhausted, but the girl refused to let him stop. "C'mon Hiro! Catch me!" The girl said, clearly enjoying her brother struggle after her. "This is unfair, Yeo. You're way faster than meeee!" Said Hiro, sweat beads developing on his forehead. They were wearing very peculiar clothes. The boy was wearing a silver breastplate over a black t-shirt made of some sort of durable substance. On his shoulders were plates of black metal that had gold lining. He had baggy white pants on and his forearm had long black sleeves. He had bronze horns sticking from his brown hair. The girl had her hair in a long ponytail. It was the same brown as the boy's. She had the same bronze horns too. She had the same shoulder plates of black metal with gold lining, but had a red cloth stretching from her white tunic to the topic he blades. She wore a short skirt, similar in colour to the boy's pants which was also the same colour as her tunic. She had a pink bandana with white spots tied around her waist. She had gloves with black metal plating on the outside and had some of the same red cloth sticking out the top. The two siblings were twins.

After about five more minutes of running, the girl stopped and looked behind her. Her twin was nowhere to be seen. "Hiro? Hiro where are you?" There was no answer. She looked behind the nearby trees, expecting him to pop out from behind one, but he didn't. "Hiro! This isn't funny!" She said. She was about seven years old and had deep blue eyes like the ocean. They were wide open. Her lips began to tremble when her brother didn't respond.

"Yeo! Yeo come back!" He yelled, but it was no use. She had already gone too far. He began to walk which broke into a jog which turned into a sprint. "Yeo?! Yeo, where are you?!" Just then, Yeo's head jolted as she heard her brothers voice. She wiped the tears that were streaming down her cheeks and ran in the direction of his voice. "I'm here! Hiro, I'm here!" She yelled. Hiro ran towards his sister's voice. She sounded scared. He should've kept chasing her. "I'm coming Yeo!" Although it was only by four minutes, Hiro was older than Yeo and he felt it was his job to look after her. Their parents were always exploring different lands, so they were the heirs of a kingdom in southwestern Ransei called Aurora. Their grandad was currently Warlord, but he was getting old. Soon it would be time for them to take over.

"Yeo?" Hiro was looking upwards, expecting her to fall from a tree. "Hiro!" She yelled, looking behind her. THUD! The two crashed into eachother and fell to the ground. They both started laughing uncontrollably and hugged. Once the laughing subsided, Hiro looked at her, his eyes serious and gazing into her's. "Yeo, that was dangerous. You could've been attacked by the wild Pokémon, and I would never forgive myself if that-" Just then, a deafening screech came from above them. They looked directly up and saw a figure fly over them, blocking the sun from their eyes momentarily. "SCREEE!" There it was again! Yeo put her back to Hiro's and they slowly rotated, looking around, unsure of what was happening. "SCREE" Was all Yeo heard before Hiro grabbed her and ran.

"RUN YEO!" He booked loudly, she opened her eyes and saw the monstrous bird racing towards them. She immediately released herself from Hiro's grasp and screamed, now running alongside Hiro. Although she was faster, he was stronger and she thought he should protect her if this Pokémon got too close. "What is that thing?" She yelled, panting like a wild dog. "I think it's a Staraptor. They're really rare in the wild, especially here in Aurora." He responded "Why is it chasing us?" Yeo asked again. "We must've gone too far into its habitat. Let's just hope it's a male." Yeo nodded and raced ahead. Hiro allowed himself a glance behind him which he immediately regretted. The Staraptor was inches away from his neck. He yelled loudly and closed his eyes, his calves were burning and his lungs felt as if they were about to explode. Yeo was the same. They thought it was all over until they heard a loud cry. "Eve!" And then the Staraptor toppled to the floor.

Hiro turned around to see two Eevees attacking the Staraptor. One had used Quick Attack to knock it down and the other had Tackled it before it could recover. Another Quick Attack and another Tackle and it seemed the Staraptor had been knocked out. Hiro sighed in relief, the Staraptor couldn't harm them any more. He felt like he was forgetting something though. He spun around just in time to see Yeo catching up to him. They both looked at the Eevees, grateful for what they had done, and then it happened. Yeo and Hiro kneeled down and a yellow light surrounded both of them as well as the Eevees. They had successfully linked. "Oh my Arceus." Hiro said. Yeo stared at her new partner in disbelief. She didn't know she'd link with a Pokemon this early in her life. She thought she'd just have found one when she became Warlord of Aurora. "Let's go home and tell grandad!" Hiro said. They raced in the direction they came, the Eevees running by their side. This time Yeo made sure to stick by Hiro's side.

The Aurora courtyard was eerily quiet. No one was outside doing work, the Warlord wasn't in his hammock. What a strange sight. Yeo and Hiro walked through the huge wooden doors and into the castle. It was a fine building, mostly made of marble on the outside. The roof was a black wood and it had the same style as a Japanese tower, just much shorter. It had three stories. The first was twice the size of the other two, having a kitchen, a relaxation room, a steam room, an indoor pool, two bathrooms and several other rooms that served no purpose as of this day. The second floor held the throne room and the Warlord's office. It also had a bathroom. The third floor had five bedrooms, one of which was shared by Yeo and Hiro, another which was used by their grandfather and the others were used by visitors who had to sleep the night there. There was also a basement, but Yeo and Hiro didn't want to know what was kept down there.

They raced into the Warlord's bedroom to find him sleeping in bed. Yeo went over to him and looked into his face. He was soundless, how odd. She couldn't feel any moisture on his lips and that was when she realised he wasn't breathing. "HIRROOOOOO!" She yelled as loud as she could, tears welling up in her eyes and her throat becoming dry. Her heart was racing, she didn't want him to die. In a few seconds, Hiro was at her side, looking at the old man. He would now sleep for an eternity. Hiro put a consoling arm around Yeo's shoulder and she shoved her face into his chest. The tears had come, and Hiro could feel them. He hugged his sister, tears now welling up in his eyes. It was so sudden. They decided to take it to the police. In the space of twenty minutes, the castle went from having three people in it to thirty three. Guards were checking every floor for any sign of an assassin. Nothing. A doctor had come in to inspect he body. No wounds. Apparently he had suffered a heart attack while asleep. Yeo and Hiro locked themselves into their room and silently sobbed on Hiro's bed, the Eevees nuzzling them. It was a sad day for Hiro and Yeo.

 **Okay, that went better than I thought. As you can probably tell, this is a Pokémon Conquest fanfiction. We have our two main characters, Yeo and Hiro. More will be introduced as the story goes on. They represent the male and female protagonists from Pokemon Conquest. Hopefully you guys like it. This is an epilogue to the story, the next chapter will have a huge timeskip to where Yeo and Hiro will already be Warlords. The following chapters will also be much longer. Okay, I'll stop now. Hope you like this. Louis out!**


	2. The Crowning

In the following years, not much changed in the Kingdom of Aurora. A powerful warrior by the name of Takanobu had taken over as Warlord until Hiro and Yeo had turned fifteen and had personally trained the two in battle as well as in business. He was renowned due to owning an extremely rare Pokemon that was native to Aurora by the name of Snorlax. Both Hiro and Yeo looked up to him, and he had taken the place of their grandfather astoundingly well for such a young man both as a father figure and a Warlord. However, while Aurora hadn't changed much over the years, the rest of Ransei was entering what would be the most intense war the region experienced since the Great War that took place centuries before.

Funnily enough, the cause for this new age of disaster was partially because of The Legend of the Creator of Ransei which had been the cause of the Old War. The story told of an Omnipotent Pokemon that created the Ransei region with Its thousand arms. According to the Legend, if a Warrior were to unite all seventeen kingdoms of Ransei, the Creator would appear to them and obey their every command. However, as there were now eighteen Kingdoms of Ransei with the newly established Elfrei which had appeared when the Bay of Mountains which bordered Terrera, Cragspur and Yaksha rose out of the sea added a new twist to things, no one knew if the Legend would hold true. Elfrei had quickly grown economically, apparently already having a tribe of Warriors, a Warlord and a Junior Warlord. The Warlord went by Koshosho and the Junior Warlord was an awfully flamboyant young man named Naotora. A new type of Pokemon dubbed Fairy type emerged from the Kingdom and a sizeable portion migrated to new Kingdoms, such as Sylveon and a new type of Wigglytuff who was half Fairy.

The conflict began in the north. The man responsible was a man named Oda Nobunaga, the Warlord of Dragnor. He had begun his conquest by quickly establishing dominance in what was now considered Northern Ransei. The Kingdoms of Nixtorm, Valora and Spectra had been ravaged with terrifyingly powerful thunderstorms as a result of Nobunaga's companion which had been given the nickname "Black Lightning" due to no one recognising the Pokemon. Already friendly with the three surrounding Warlords with one being his wife, Nobunaga quickly spread his reach, and on the day which Hiro and Yeo would become Warlords, he had extended his reach to Avia. Another significant factor which caused much destruction was the revival of the rivalry between the two "dividers" of Ransei, Illusio's Kenshin and Terrera's Shingen. Despite the arrival of Elfrei, You still needed to pass through either Terrera or Illusio to travel from Western Ransei to Eastern Ransei, and vice versa, albeit the journey being much easier if you decided to travel through Elfrei first and then onto Terrera. The Kingdoms of Viperia, Cragspur and Yaksha lived in fear (Although chances were the Warlord of Yaksha wouldn't show it) as they were seemingly cornered by Nobunaga. With the impassable wall of Terrera and Illusio on one side, they were doomed to be engulfed by the Black Lightning which travelled with Nobunaga.

The Western side of Ransei had definitely been put on high alert since Shingen and Kenshin had started clashing again, and the news of Nobunaga had made tensions rise even more. Takanobu was almost positive war would begin soon enough. Greenleaf was pretty unthreatening as Motonari was quite peaceful when it came to other Kingdoms, but he was very crafty when it came to Greenleaf's battlefield, and Ignis and Fontaine would definitely leave him alone for the time being. Motochika showed no sign of wanting to attack anyone, but then again, Motochika wasn't one for making contact with other kingdoms. Fontaine was typically one of the least reliant Kingdoms on its relationships with the surrounding nations, second only to Violight. That ultimately left Ignis, and out of the five kingdoms which Ignis bordered, it was clear which one Hideyoshi would attempt to take over. Hideyoshi was an eccentric and headstrong man who was convinced he would be the one to unite Ransei, and what better place to start than the Kingdom which would soon be receiving a complete reset military wise with just two warriors remaining? It wasn't as if Pugilis was an option. Yoshihiro wouldn't hesitate in crushing Hideyoshi's thick skull with his newly acquired brass knuckles. Motonari was far too intelligent for Hideyoshi to even consider taking on, even if his two Junior Warlords were some of the most intelligent men around, and Motochika terrified him. It was obvious that he'd attack Aurora, and Takanobu could see absolutely no way around it. He really hoped the twins had paid attention during their lessons.

* * *

"HIRO, WAKE UP YOU LAZY SON OF A-"

Yeo's voice reverberated through Hiro's head as his eyes shot open. He was momentarily blinded by the morning light that had infiltrated the room, seemingly ignoring the solid window which would obstruct anything else that attempted to enter the beautiful bedroom which he had slept in. The first thing that registered in his brain were three blurry figures that were kneeling over him, all of which he recognised almost immediately being his sister and their two Eevees. Hiro grunted and closed his eyes once more.

"Just give me another few minutes…" Yeo let out a strangled laugh of surprise at his reaction and just as she was about to remind him why he had slept in his armour and tunic last night, the fifteen-year-old's azure eyes burst open as he remembered what day it was. He instinctively leapt off the bed, much to Yeo and their two Eevee's surprise as they crashed to the beautiful mahogany floors of the bedroom. Hiro quickly slipped his hands through the leather wrist gloves on his bedside table and grabbed the red scarf suspended above his head which sported the Aurora monarchy's family crest. He rushed downstairs to the castle's massive kitchen and grabbed a slice of bread from the dozens of cupboards throughout the kitchen. Before he knew it, he was face to face with Yeo and the two Eevees, one of which made an impressive leap up to his shoulder. His twin sister wore a glare that made her equally azure eyes bore a hole in his skull. He could tell she was fuming at how late he'd woken up, but he wasn't exactly positive on what time it was.

"You lazy, inconsiderate, unpunctual IDIOT!" She yelled at him, completely indifferent towards the expression of mingled terror and confusion he wore on his face.

"I already talked with Takanobu and our crowning ceremony is in an HOUR! It takes twenty minutes to get from here to the village square, so we have forty minutes to prepare for what could be the most important moments of our LIVES!" Hiro flinched at Yeo's tone. He had never seen her this mad before in the fifteen years in which he had known her. He could sense Eevee trembling slightly but knew he would never show it in front of Yeo's Eevee. The two Pokemon seemed to have an intense rivalry.

"Yeo, I'm sorry. I really am, but as you said, the crowning ceremony takes place in an hour so why don't you stop dwelling on this morning and focus on what's happening now." Astounded by his half-assed apology, Yeo grunted and seized her brother's hand, practically dragging him across the stone floor of the kitchen. Hiro almost lost balance as she yanked his arm, but managed to stay upright. They departed the kitchen and she led him down the long hallway which led to the Aurora throne room. As they entered the room, Takanobu turned to face them, his eyes flicking from Hiro to Yeo, eventually locking with Hiro's. Hiro felt utterly intimidated by Takanobu's deep brown eyes. It was as if he was staring into a gaping sinkhole. The silence concluded with a hearty laugh from Takanobu.

"You really never change, do you, Hiro?" The twins stared at him as the suspense vanished from the room. They both had looks of surprise etched into their faces, but while Hiro's was tainted with relief, Yeo's was tainted with outrage.

"SERIOUSLY?! He got up late! We could've missed the ceremony because of him and you're just gonna laugh it off?" Takanobu looked her directly in the eyes, his face now devoid of humour.

"Yeo, as a Warlord, you will have to deal with people arriving late, waking up late or not turning up at all. Although Hiro did sleep in, there was no major setback that occurred as a result of this. We still have forty minutes to research the eight items you will both have the choice of receiving. We will not miss the ceremony at all. Do you understand?" Hiro grinned triumphantly at Yeo's stunned silence. She had not expected that sort of answer from Takanobu. Takanobu spoke again, this time addressing both of them.

"As Warlords, you both will be faced with frustrating situations, such as this one in Yeo's case. You must not show agitation, you must be patient and persevere. Similarly," Takanobu turned to Hiro, his face showing an emotion Hiro could not identify. "As Warlords, you have many responsibilities, and one of the more important of those responsibilities is to be punctual. Although nothing explicitly bad happened as a result of Hiro waking up late, the same situation could give an invading force the upper hand in a battle." Hiro hung his head in shame, feeling slightly guilty. Takanobu had a way of doing that to you, and that was when Hiro realised that the emotion he could not recognise earlier was, in fact, disappointment.

"However, now that I have gotten my point across, I say it's about time to examine your items, eh?" Still feeling a bit of remorse, Hiro nodded. Yeo did too, slightly more satisfied at her brother's discomfort. Takanobu led them to a solid granite table. Spread across the table were eight items.

"As you both know, Eevee is a very special Pokemon. It is the only discovered Pokemon that can evolve into more than four different Pokemon. It is capable of utilising the various items to evolve into one of eight different Pokemon." The first item Takanobu took in his hands was a royal blue stone speckled with what could only be lapis lazuli mined from Fontaine. Takanobu cleared his throat.

"This object is what is known as a Water Stone. If Eevee's HP increases beyond a certain point while holding this stone, it will evolve into Vaporeon. Vaporeon is a beautiful Water-type Pokemon with highest HP of all of Eevee's evolutions. It can use ranged attacks brilliantly and can tank them just as well, but when it comes to close up fighting, it doesn't excel. In the water, Vaporeon is extremely fast, capable of launching high powered water blasts and utilising ice to hurt the opponent, but on land, Vaporeon is the slowest of all the Eevee evolutions. Vaporeon is capable of secreting an acid-like substance to cover its body which makes close combat slightly more manageable, but I would recommend attacking from afar if you choose Vaporeon." The two Eevees stared at the Water Stone in awe, wondering how life would be underwater.

Takanobu moved on to another stone on the table. This time, the stone was a fern shade of green with a yellow stone encased in the green crystal-like substance. The yellow stone was shaped like a lightning bolt, and the twins were pretty confident what type of Pokemon the next evolution would be. Takanobu held the stone up so they could see it clearly.

"This stone is a Thunder Stone. They are usually found in Violight making them very hard to obtain. Entire mines filled with the gleaming yellow ore are far too dangerous to enter, however. The yellow ore itself emits a powerful electrical charge when touched, and the stones are only safe to touch if the Pokemon mining the ore has one of two abilities. Motor Drive or Volt Absorb. It is only when this green crystal envelops the yellow ore entirely that the stone is safe to touch. If Eevee's Speed exceeds a certain point while holding this stone, it will evolve into Jolteon, an extremely fast Electric-type Pokemon. Jolteon is the fastest of the Eevee evolutions and has a knack for distance fighting. Similar to Vaporeon, Jolteon is great when it comes to ranged attacks. It is capable of releasing powerful bolts of lightning. However, Jolteon is not the best at close combat. Unlike Vaporeon, however, Jolteon is capable of utilising its spiky fur to release a Pin Missile attack which can deter enemy Pokemon. Unfortunately, when faced with a Ground-type opponent, Jolteon is almost hopeless. Unless it can outlast the Ground type with its stamina, it is very unlikely to succeed. For this reason, it is paramount that you have a Pokemon that can cover Jolteon's weaknesses." Once more, the Eevees imagined what it would be like to be a Jolteon, capable of moving at incredible speeds and zapping foes from a distance. Takanobu placed the Thunder Stone back down on the table and picked up a yellowish stone with a tiger orange gem in the middle. The stone seemed to emanate heat.

"This is a Fire Stone, usually only found in Ignis. The gem in the middle of the stone radiates heat at an incredible 105 degrees Celsius. Just as with Thunder Stones, only Pokemon with the ability Flash Fire can make contact with the gem. Also like Thunder Stones, Fire Stones are only safe to touch once this Amber-like substance has formed around it. It is still reasonably warm, and some Ignesians carry Fire Stones in their pockets during Winter months. If Eevee's strength exceeds a certain point while holding a Fire Stone, it will evolve into Flareon. Flareon is the strongest close up fighter Eevee's evolutions. It is a Fire-type with great attacking power. Upon evolving, it gains access to many Fire-type attacks such as Fire Fang, Flame Charge and Flare Blitz. Flareon is capable of taking many ranged attacks due to its fur, but its Speed and HP make it a risky Pokemon due to it needing to be close to do much damage. When it comes to weaknesses, Flareon is hopeless. Rock Types and Water Types completely trump it due to it not learning many Grass moves. Ground types are slightly easier, but they're still capable of easily surpassing Flareon in power." Again, the Eevees imagined having control of Fire. They could sear any opponents that crossed their paths! Takanobu placed the Fire Stone down and picked up an intricate gemstone that was an interesting shade of mauve.

"If Eevee were to receive a tremendous burst of power during the day while holding this Intellect Stone, it would evolve into Espeon, the Psychic-type evolution of Eevee. Espeon has the most powerful ranged attacks of all the evolutions of Eevee and is very speedy and agile. Espeon is capable of using many unique attacks such as Dazzling Gleam, a brilliant burst of light which damages all opposing enemies as well as Stored Power and Shadow Ball. Espeon is similar to Jolteon, terrible when it comes to close combat and excellent at ranged fighting." Both Eevees leapt from their partner's shoulders and pretended to attack each other with Psychic attacks. Hiro laughed at the two Pokemon as they took turns playing dead.

"Next," Takanobu said in a slightly impatient tone indicating he wanted Hiro's full attention. "We have this Lunar Stone." Takanobu picked up a beautiful, pitch black stone with intricate yellow rings on it which added to the beauty.

"This stone is capable of evolving Eevee into Umbreon under similar circumstances to Espeon except in the night. Umbreon is an extremely defensive Pokemon, capable of tanking a hit from any Pokemon currently known, usually with surprising ease. However, its offensive power is mediocre at best. Umbreon would be a Pokemon you would use to stall your enemy out or use as a decoy to expose them to a stronger ally. However, the moves Foul Play and Assurance can help it a lot when push comes to shove." Yeo remained silent. She still seemed a tad annoyed at the previous situation, but she stopped herself from bursting out. She was far more interested in these stones anyway.

Similar to Yeo, Hiro was still feeling guilty over the previous situation, but in his attempt to soak all the information he was hearing in, the memory of that morning seemingly disappeared. This was quite a lot of stuff to remember, and he certainly wasn't too delighted at the three remaining rocks. However, he liked the sound of Umbreon. He always loved to stall in fights with the castle guards and Yeo. On the contrary, his sister loved to play offensively and give her opponent very little time to recover. To her, she loved the sound of Jolteon. Speedy and powerful, that was her type of Pokemon.

In the end, both twins would come to the conclusion that they should let their two small brown foxes choose which Pokemon they wished to evolve into.

Takanobu placed down the Lunar Stone and grabbed what looked like a regular old stone with moss covering it at first glance. However, as Takanobu raised the stone for them to see, the moss turned out to be a green crystal.

"What you are looking at is one of the hardest objects to obtain in Ransei. Luckily, because we have maintained good relations with Motonari, he was willing to donate one for this briefing. The Mossy Stone is an incredibly difficult object to find due to its location. Although not that rare, its moss-like crystal blends in with the moss-covered walls of the caverns it is found in. Considering they grow in small vanes and there are very few per cavern in Greenleaf, it is considered the rarest item found in western Ransei. If Eevee were to receive a significant boost in defense in a forest or something of the sort while exposed to the Mossy Stone, it would evolve into Leafeon, the Grass-type evolution of Eevee. Leafeon is a physical Pokemon capable of dealing lots of damage with many close up attacks and resisting them just as easily. Its speed is no laughing matter either, but it is let down when in combat with a ranged opponent. Fire-type Pokemon are especially threatening to Leafeon as they're usually ranged attackers. Leafeon has a decent move set, capable of learning the powerful Leaf Blade and X-Scissor as well as Aerial Ace. As you can tell, very good when it comes to close combat, especially during the sun.

Yeo grinned at the sound of Leafeon's battling capabilities. It sounded just like a Pokemon she would love to use. Takanobu reached for a thick, rubbery glove before grabbing the next stone. Even from their position, a couple of feet away from it, Hiro and Yeo could feel the coldness emanating from the stone.

"This is the Glacial Stone, used to evolve Eevee into Glaceon. This stone was delivered by our most skilled spy from Nixtorm, so don't you dare break it. Not only is this stone as rare as the Moss Stone, the conditions that must be faced to obtain it are far harsher as they can only be found in the blizzard ravaged mountains of western Nixtorm. Glaceon, as you probably know by now, is the Ice-type evolution of Eevee, and evolves when its strength is raised significantly in icy conditions. Although its offensive move pool isn't too wide, Glaceon can be incredibly supportive of a team, especially in an icy terrain. Glaceon can use an extremely rare move known exclusively to Ice-type Pokemon called Aurora Veil which reduces the damage your entire army takes. With high strength, a Glaceon under an Aurora Veil is a scary thing to face in battle. Glaceon is also decently offensive with high defenses."

Hiro was relieved to see there was only one more stone on the table, but it felt different to the others. Foreign, somehow. Yeo couldn't get over how pretty the next stone was. It was like an opal, except with a beautiful pinkish glow that would captivate the eyes of anyone. Except for Hiro in this situation, that is. Takanobu held the stone up for the two to see, and as they expected, it was, in fact, foreign.

"This is what we call the Mist Stone, also known as the Affection Stone. It is the most recently discovered evolution item due to first being found in the Kingdom of Elfrei. If Eevee feels truly loved when in the Kingdom of Elfrei or one of its borders, it will evolve into the most recently discovered evolution of Eevee, Sylveon. Sylveon is a Fairy type Pokemon and is quite the opposite of Leafeon. Sylveon is an extremely potent ranged attacker while being rather lacklustre in the physical department. Sylveon is an interchangeable attacker and defender. With access to Calm Mind, it can be unpredictable and dangerous."

With all eight stones explained, Hiro and Yeo called the two Eevees to the table. They hopped up onto the table and examined the stones, sniffing them and examining them from different angles. The twins awaited their decision anxiously. Takanobu waited patiently, although they only had five minutes left before their carriage departed. About thirty seconds later, the two Eevees made their choice. Hiro's Eevee grabbed the Mist Stone and Yeo's Eevee grabbed the Moss Stone. Takanobu released a quick sigh of relief now that he knew they could catch the carriage. The twins hugged their Eevees and made to exit the room.

"Wait, there's something else I need you for."

Yeo and Hiro turned to face Takanobu as he whistled loudly. The ground began to shake, and suddenly, a large, blue bear with a white tummy barged through the doors and seized Yeo, Hiro, Takanobu and the Eevees. He faced the single window that illuminated the room they stood in and in the moment when he leapt through, Yeo had to appreciate just how magnificent the throne room was, with its marble tiles, red carpet and luxurious pair of thrones as well as the expensive tables and cabinets which were home to many sacred Auroran scrolls and treasures. The loud crash of Snorlax penetrating glass reverberated throughout her mind as the large Pokemon leapt through the window. They now needed to dash for the stables. Snorlax sprinted along the side of the castle at an incredibly fast speed, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the stables.

"That was…"

"Wild."

"Yeah.

The twins laughed, slightly in shock at the experience, but there was no time to wait. The dark oak carriage awaited the twins to hop on. As usual, the twins gaped at the eight Pokemon which pulled the carriage each time. Six Mudbray and two Mudsdale. Hiro found them interesting. He was fascinated by the way they grew stronger by consuming mud. Yeo found it a small bit disgusting, but couldn't help appreciating their unique way of life. Takanobu quickly rushed them onto the carriage where a man called Naoshige awaited them. He was a kind, dark skinned man with charcoal black hair. A Rufflet squawked at his shoulder every so often.

"Greetings, Lord Hiro and Lady Yeo. I was beginning to fear you wouldn't make it. I'll be informing you of what you'll need to say at your speech."

The carriage ride lasted longer than expected, but by the end of it the twins were confident they could give a decent speech. By the time they reached the centre of Aurora town, a large crowd had amassed to hear their speech. Hiro began to feel nervous. Yeo could tell by the way he was stroking Eevee slightly more forcefully than normal.

"Nervous, Hiro?" She asked, faking curiosity.

"Just as nervous as you, Lady Yeo." Yeo laughed at the last comment and gave a quick hug to her Eevee as the twins were ushered out of the carriage by Naoshige who had given them a nervous smile on their way out. Hiro made a few deep breaths on their way to the birch podium which awaited them. Yeo gave her brother a reassuring squeeze of the hand as they rose up the steps. All chatter that had lingered in the crowd died down. All eyes were on them. Yeo gave a nervous glance to Hiro. He was the one who was supposed to start the speech.

"Citizens of Aurora, my name is Hiro Nagamasa, son of Azai Hisamasa and Ono Dono." Hiro's voice was loud and intimidating, perfect for a Warlord.

"And I am Yeo Nagamasa, Granddaughter of Azai Sukemasa." Yeo's voice was equally as intimidating as her brothers. They really were identical twins.

"We will be fulfilling the position of Warlords in Aurora from now until our deaths," Hiro spoke with unwavering confidence and many of the crowd were taken aback by the first impression of these two teenagers.

"We are aware of the flames of war which are engulfing Ransei in an inferno of violence. We are aware of the threat of the Dragnorian army as well as the fact that Shingen and Kenshin of Terrera and Illusio respectively have revived their old violence." A solemn silence overwhelmed the crowd.

"However, as Warlords, we do not fear these facts, we will embrace them. There is a mighty wall protecting us from the wrath of Nobunaga (Upon saying his name, many people in the crowd shuddered.) in the form of Shingen, Kenshin and Koshosho."

"It is widely known that Nobunaga fears these Warlords, and so for now, Western Ransei is safe from harm. By the time Nobunaga comes, we will be ready! We will face him in battle with pride and defeat him with dignity."

"I know a lot of you will doubt our abilities because of our ag-"

Suddenly, a high pitched voice shrieked an undecipherable command and a burst of purple embers flew towards Hiro and Yeo. Completely stunned and unsure of what to do, the twins could only face the embers helplessly. The two Eevees had not yet spotted the embers which were gaining by the millisecond. Hiro thought he was doomed, when suddenly."

"Jigglypuff, use Psychic!"

A round pink balloon-like Pokemon puffed into the air and suddenly, a teal light engulfed the embers which disintegrated. Two more voices, these ones much gruffer, uttered two more commands in what the twins could barely identify as Japanese. Their accent was different, and so they couldn't make out the words. Before they knew it, a Darumaka and Timburr had leapt from the crowd towards the Eevees. Chaos erupted in the crowd as everyone struggled to depart from the square. By the end of it, six figures remained. A young girl with strawberry hair who clearly owned the Jigglypuff who had retreated to her comforting embrace stood in front of the podium, looking directly at the opposing force. Before the twins knew what was happening, she spoke.

"Lord Hiro, Lady Yeo, please allow me to fight alongside you!"

As they clearly had no choice in the matter, they nodded to the girl who faced the three opposing soldiers. A tall brown man looked at Oichi directly in the eye. He wore green overalls and sported a white vest underneath. His brown hair was messy. The other man was tall and ripped with curly black hair. His top was yellow and his shorts were navy. He wore a headband. Lastly, a woman stood between the two, her long blond hair blowing in the light breeze. She wore a pink dress which had several symbols indicating she was a member of the Ignatian royal family. She spoke first in a thick Ignis accent.

"I am Maa, wife of Hideyoshi. Sorry to break it to you two, but you won't be Warlords for much longer."

Next, the overalled man spoke.

"I am Koroku, a soldier who works under Hideyoshi. Now, how about I serve you pink puff on a plate with the help of Timburr o'er there, eh?!"

Lastly, the ripped man spoke. His voice was deep and terrifying.

"I am Nagayasu, a soldier of the Ignis army. My Darumaka will destroy you in battle!"

Hiro and Yeo exchanged determined looks. Hiro's Eevee had already taken his position in front of Litwick and Yeo's had adopted a fighting stance, waiting for Darumaka to make the first move. Timburr leapt from the podium to face Jigglypuff. Now it was a waiting game. Five seconds elapsed before Nagayasu's impatience had him strike first.

"Go, Darumaka! Use Flame Wheel!"

The round Fire type narrowed his eyes and tucked his tiny limbs into his body before a violent fire engulfed him. He began to roll, quickly gaining speed. Yeo knew she had to act quickly, but she was stuck on what to do. Just as Darumaka was about to strike Eevee, she remembered where she was. Defending her Kingdom was no training battle, this was serious.

"Eevee, use-"

* * *

Heavy lightning clouds rolled into the skies around Viperia's castle. A large, murky figure rocketed out of the sky towards the Viperian battlefield. Atop the large figure was a man dressed in a purple and gold cloak. His metallic gloves jutted out when they met the cloak at his humerus. Dark plates the colour of onyx covered his shoulders and upper forearms. The massive collar of his cloak gave him an intimidating appearance. His black hair was tied up and his facial hair was well kempt. As Nene witnessed Nobunaga soar into Viperia on Black Lightning, she knew she had lost, but to surrender was not the way a ninja would back down. She met him at the battlefield, but as it turned out, he had not come alone. A beautiful woman dressed in purple robes that could only have been his wife had also decided to join the fray, and her Mismagius seemed to radiate power. The man at his side had a Lapras with him. It could only have been Mitsuhide with his long, dark blue ponytail and his extreme loyalty to Nobunaga. Ieyasu, previous Warlord of Valora had also graced her with his presence. His Lairon seemed to be on the brink of evolution. His distinctive body armour made it obvious who he was. Ranmaru, Junior Warlord of Dragnor had also joined them. His Riolu stood at his shoulder excitedly, waiting to get into battle. Lastly, there was Masamune and his Rufflet. Nene had never liked Masamune. He was cocky and far too headstrong for his size, but as long as Nobunaga was with him, Nene had little hopes of beating him. She finally released an exasperated sigh.

"Why don't we get this over with. Hanzo, gather the army."

The ninja who had been stealthily lurking in the shadows through Nene's entire reflection process revealed himself momentarily before vanishing from sight completely. Hanzo returned about twenty seconds later with four other ninjas.

"Chiyome, focus on No."

The female ninja rushed to meet her opponent, a small stone bouncing along behind her until it revealed itself to be Spiritomb when in front of No.

"Hatsume, take on Masamune."

A slightly agiler female ninja rushed to meet Masamune with Pawniard at her side.

"Morikiyo, face Ranmaru."

Another ninja took his place in front of Ranmaru, a Croagunk at his side.

"And Fujibayashi, you're against Ieyasu."

Another ninja sporting blue robes faced Ieyasu, a Roselia at his side.

Finally, Nene took her place in front of Nobunaga. Now was the time to give it her all, but could their knowledge of the Viperia battlefield really help them defeat Black Lightning? Nene did not know, but she knew she was about to find out.

* * *

"Dig!" Eevee quickly dug into the ground with the speed of a Drilbur, barely avoiding the Flame Wheel attack from her opponent. She could feel Yeo communicate with her via their link, so Eevee quickly manoeuvred herself directly below Darumaka. The Fire-type grew weary as it took in its surroundings, looking for a telltale sign that Eevee was about to pop out. Instead, it was Nagayasu who noticed the stones shaking directly beneath Darumaka.

"Darumaka, she's below you!" Darumaka barely escaped the dire situation without sustaining any damage, but Eevee wasn't done yet. She spotted Darumaka almost immediately and lunged forwards with Quick Attack. Yeo grinned as Eevee collided with Darumaka, causing the Fire-type to soar through the air and land with a loud thud near Nagayasu.

"Get up and use Fire Fang!" Nagayasu barked, and his partner complied, sprinting towards Eevee with sharp white fangs engulfed in red-hot flames.

"Eevee, dodge and finish Darumaka off with Bite!" In three swift movements, Eevee leapt over Darumaka, flipped around mid-air so she would be facing Darumaka when she landed and struck Darumaka with a set of razor-sharp fangs that had appeared before her. Yeo let out a celebratory cry just as Nagayasu began to laugh.

"This fight isn't over yet! You forgot my Darumaka's ability, Spirit!" Darumaka's limp body immediately pulled itself off the floor, HP fully restored and attack raised. Nagayasu roared with laughter before closing his eyes and grinning in sync with Darumaka. His Warrior Skill, Adrenaline activated and Darumaka's attack was raised once more. Yeo grimaced.

"Eevee, use Dig!" The brown furred fox leapt into the ground once more, but when it arose behind Darumaka, the Fire-type was ready, fangs covered in fire. Darumaka grabbed Eevee easily and went in for the kill, fangs closing over Eevee's head when suddenly, another Eevee sped over towards the two and fired two rapid Shadow Balls, colliding with Darumaka and saving Yeo's Eevee from what seemed to be imminent doom. Yeo turned around and witnessed her brother grinning and a sobbing mess that could only be Maa across the way from him.

"You're done already?" She asked, surprised. Hiro grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"The only thing she had going for her was Hideyoshi's wealth accessing powerful moves for her "precious little Wick-wick."" Yeo laughed loudly which enraged Maa. She ran off in a fit towards the bordering mountains of Ignis. The twins then turned to Nagayasu and a shocked Darumaka. Hiro spoke again.

"Eevee's Celebrate allowed him to come to your rescue. Sometimes I feel like I underestimate the little guy." Eevee turned to Hiro, a determined grin on his face. Yeo got her laughter under control and turned to her own Eevee and closed her eyes, bringing her hands together. Realising what she was doing, Hiro did the same. A mesmerising, white brilliance flowed from their bodies and entered the two Eevees'.

"Top Speed, go!" Both Eevees zoomed towards Darumaka, just little brown blurs flecked with white to the twins and Nagayasu. Hiro's let out an unrelenting array of Swift attacks from all angles while Yeo's closed in with a powerful Iron Tail attack. Yeo's Eevee struck first, sending Darumaka flying into the air. Swift's homing quality allowed it to follow Darumaka, and all twelve golden stars struck Darumaka all over. The Fire-type plummeted through the air and landed in Nagayasu's arms. The twins high fived each other and the Eevees returned to the twins' arms.

"We'll be back! And you bet we'll be far stronger than you then!" Nagayasu yelled before retreating in the same direction Maa had, Darumaka rocking back and forth in his arms. The twins then turned to Oichi and Jigglypuff and witnessed a hilarious yet terrifying scene which involved Jigglypuff using Psychic to whack Timburr over the head with its own log. The twins broke down laughing at this and Oichi blushed slightly. Koroku let out an aggravated scream as Timburr fell to the earthy ground, unconscious. He retreated after Maa and Nagayasu, the former of which was just a speck in the distance now. The twins ran to meet Oichi and Jigglypuff leapt into her arms, delighted.

"Great job, Oichi! That strategy was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed on a battlefield." Yeo said, appreciatively without the slightest trace of sardony in his voice. At this, Oichi began to blush once more. It was clear she wasn't used to receiving such compliments.

"Oh, i-it's nothing. I come from a family of batt-" She immediately shut up, looking almost guilty. Jigglypuff sensed her dismay and snuggled into her. The twins cocked their heads to the side but decided not to pester her with any questions that might hurt her. Instead, they gave her a moment to recover while discussing the situation.

"I think we should ask her to join the army," Hiro said finally. Yeo completely agreed, but that didn't halt her sisterly nature from wanting to annoy Hiro.

"You're just saying that because you fancy her, but okay, I guess we can make room for a potential girlfriend." To her complete and utter surprise, Hiro's face turned to a shade of red deeper than a Hoppip's. She still gave him a knowing look. They turned to Oichi once more. Hurt still lingered over her face, but she looked recovered for the most part.

"So, Oichi. Hiro and I have come to the conclusion that we'd like you on the Auroran army. Your Jigglypuff seems to be quite the Pokemon, and you have a very close bond with her. You would be a reliable asset to us, especially tomorrow when we take over Ignis." Hiro's eyes widened at that statement, but Oichi had opened her mouth to speak, and so he decided to listen because he was interested in his offer, and definitely not the wonderful sound of her voice.

"I was actually going to request to join the army after your speech. I would love to join you in your conquest." Oichi smiled nervously. Yeo grinned at her and held out her hand.

"Welcome to the team, then! C'mon, let's head back to the castle!"

"Oka-" Suddenly, Oichi was pushed aside. In her place stood three boys. The first one had a head of long silver and brown hair with two gold horns pointing out of the top. He wore reddish robes. The second boy had grey hair and wore a green cloak. The last boy seemed to have an arrogant expression plastered onto his face. His hair was black and he wore blue robes. Hiro's Eevee growled at the three boys and was met by three more grunts from below. The twins and their Eevees looked down to see a Pawniard which belonged to the first boy, an Axew which belonged to the second and a Sandile which belonged to the third. The first boy spoke with a tone filled with zeal.

"Well, that was an okay battle, but considering your status, you did horribly. We could've sent them packing in half the time you did." The twins' eyes opened in surprise. They would never have expected this from anyone, let alone these three stooges. The third boy spoke next, and his tone was about as arrogant as his face.

"He's right. That Darumaka would've gone down within ten seconds if I had been fighting it." Lastly, the boy in green spoke.

"As harsh as their words may seem, they're right. That fighting was Junior Warlord level at best. You have got a lot of work to do." Hiro could sense a massive outburst that was about to come from Yeo's mouth, so he swiftly left her side with a simple 'I'll leave this to you.' Before tending to Oichi who was brushing bits of dirt from her lovely pink and white dress. He loved the way her strawberry hair complimented her brownish eyes. He brushed a speck of dirt off her shoulder and she giggled. He grinned at her, slightly afraid of speaking in case he messed up, but continuing anyway.

"So how about we return to the castle to train for tomorrow? Hideyoshi has two Junior Warlords, so the fight won't be too easy." Oichi smiled thoughtfully and nodded. She let Hiro lead the way. A few minutes after they entered the castle, Yeo returned with the three boys from earlier. Hiro and Oichi looked at her, confused.

"Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori here are going to assist us in conquering Ignis tomorrow. Right boys?" She spoke with a fake passiveness that Hiro recognised almost immediately. If they gave the wrong answer, she'd begin to yell. The three boys nodded curtly. Hiro grinned. The six retired to the battlefield out back where they trained for the next three hours or so before retiring for the night. The four guests occupied the spare bedrooms in the castle. Tomorrow would be a hectic day

* * *

If any citizen of Aurora had looked closely at the bordering mountain range a few minutes after the Ignatian invaders had been defeated, they would have seen two figures atop the mountain awaiting the three warriors below. One of these figures was dressed in black and gold robes. Half his hair was black, but his face and the other half were a ghostly white. The other wore a yellow turban with white and blue robes. His black hair poked out from beneath the turban. He wore a sleepy expression, similar to the one worn by the Pichu who lay atop his turban. Upon the arrival of Maa, Nagayasu and Koroku, the white-faced man spoke.

"Report, Lady Maa?" He said in a mysterious voice.

"Oh, Kanbei. It was simply HORRIBLE. Absolutely HORRIBLE. That foul brat's loathsome Eevee beat up my poor Litwick. Oh, Kanbei!" She broke down in a fit of tears. It took every bit of his determination to not slap her across the face. He despised the woman, but as Hideyoshi's wife, she had to be respected. He'd have to rely on the other two because it was clear the sobbing mess in front of her would be of no help at all. The other boy spoke next. He could've been no older than sixteen.

"Well, Koroku? Any news?" Koroku nodded as he stroked Timburr's head.

"Two Eevees which demonstrated brilliant teamwork and a Jigglypuff who found the idea of whacking my Timburr across the head with his own log several times hilarious, Lord Hanbei." Hanbei burst out laughing at this and the Pichu atop his head half-opened a lazy eye.

"We can beat em', right Pichu?" The mouse let out a lazy 'Pi' before falling back asleep. The apparition of another Litwick on Kanbei's shoulder indicated the arrival of their rides home. Two Rapidash and three Ponyta, one with a beautiful blue mane, pulled up to the five warriors. Hanbei and Kanbei took the Rapidash, Maa took the Shiny Ponyta and Nagayasu and Koroku took the last two Ponyta. Now it was time to prepare.

* * *

A single figure emerged from the labyrinth that was Viperia's battlefield. A Riolu. Ranmaru grinned, proud of his Pokemon. Ieyasu frowned, disappointed that he'd let down what he felt was his newly evolved Aggron. He had felt a burst of power on Lairon's end, and that was the only thing he could come up with. Rufflet had been KO'd before entering by Pawniard (Nene was extremely satisfied at this, but she daresn't show it in front of Nobunaga.) Mismagius had also been KO'd by Spiritomb, and neither Zekrom or Lapras entered the maze due to being too big or too slow. The group of ninjas all looked disappointed. Nobunaga looked Nene directly in the eye. His mere presence had terrified her, but now that he was looking directly at her, she felt petrified.

"You can keep your castle on the condition that you fight for me and me only. Do I make myself clear?" Nene couldn't believe what she was hearing. She nodded directly at Nobunaga. She now understood how Nobunaga had coaxed Masamune to fight for him. With intimidation and that offer. Hanzo still looked towards Nobunaga with conflicted emotions. On one hand, he had allowed them to keep his castle, on the other hand, he had taken over. It was a tough situation.

"Hanzo." Hanzo twitched and turned to face the man in purple.

"In a few weeks, you are to lead the Junior Warlords into Cragspur while I lead an attack on Yaksha with the Warlords on the same day." Nobunaga turned to leave immediately and departed with Zekrom. Ranmaru followed with Riolu, then Mitsuhide with Lapras, No and Mismagius, Masamune with Rufflet. Ieyasu remained to catch up with Hanzo. It had been a while since they had spoken with each other. Hanzo had saved his life after all. Nene didn't question it. Even though she had full control over the army, she always left Hanzo alone. He didn't scare her, but she was completely unfamiliar with him.

Nobunaga sat down on his throne. He had had poisonous looking amethysts embedded in the top of the throne taken directly from Viperia's castle. He did this with every Kingdom he conquered so his legacy would be carried on, but that's not what he was thinking of right now. What he was thinking of was how to get past the mighty wall that prevented him from accessing Western Ransei. Shingen, Kenshin and Koshosho. All three had massive armies with terribly strong Pokemon. Shingen's Rhyperior was rumoured to have completely destroyed a village of spies on the Illusio border with a single Rock Wrecker attack. Kenshin's Gallade once sliced one of the massive floating rocks in Illusio in two after some of Shingen's troops had taken refuge there. Koshosho had demonstrated her power upon bringing Kotaro's entire army to a stop with only her blue Ninetales. He would need the strongest members of his army to undergo extreme training before taking on any of those three was possible. So there Nobunaga sat, the Conqueror of Eastern Ransei on his golden throne with all sorts of gems embedded into it, contemplating on how to bring the most feared Warlords in history down.

* * *

Yo, it's been a while. I swear I won't take a year to make another chapter, but I started my first year of secondary school last year which was annoying. Then I forgot I made an account and things spiralled out of control. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my rushed writing which wasn't that rushed because I already wrote this chapter four times. They got deleted. Hahahaha I wanted to die when that happened so anyway bye please give me criticism be it horribly mean or constructive and try to keep in mind that I'm 13 so don't expect any novel shit. Thanks bye.


	3. The Battle for Ignis

A massive booming noise shook the Kingdom of Aurora on a particularly sunny Lunaladay. The entire kingdom awoke almost instantaneously with thousands of Pidgey, Starly and Pidove taking to the skies, hundreds of Furfrou and Lillipup howling in surprise and thousands of citizens jolting awake, including the six warriors who had stayed the night in the largest bedroom of the castle. All around the Kingdom, windows shattered or cracked unless the glass was incredibly powerful. Even the glass of the Aurora Castle cracked all over. Yeo shrieked as she tumbled out of bed, ears still pounding after the massive noise that shook her to the very core. Her first feeling was terror. She began to think that that terribly loud noise could have been an invading force, and then she remembered the Chatot Takanobu had purchased on the black market a few years beforehand. When she had told it to make the loudest noise it could in order to wake her and the five others in her room, she would never have expected that. The Boomburst attack would've sent Regigigas himself running for the hills.

A sudden pain in her head indicated she had collided with her mahogany bedside locker. That would hurt for a while. She hopped off the soft surface beneath her, her hair a tangled mess and her silk pyjamas fluffy all over from the carpet. Her Eevee was grimacing, clearly still recovering from the abrupt and rude awakening it had experienced. Hiro was clutching his right ear with both his hands. He had been the closest to the cracked window and was more than likely deaf in that ear for a bit, nothing the Royal Doctor couldn't help him with. His Eevee had curled into him, attempting to soothe the pain. Mitsunari, Masanori and Kiyomasa were seemingly paralysed on the floor, hands over their ears. Axew had actually fainted while Pawniard and Sandile were rolling around on the floor in pain. It was only Oichi who appeared to be unaffected by the massive boom. She stood, gazing out into the courtyard, Jigglypuff in her arms. The pink puff also seemed to be indifferent to the noise. Yeo cocked her head to the side, curious as to how she had shrugged such an ear-shattering noise off without difficulty. Oichi didn't notice Yeo and opened a damaged window.

"Jigglypuff, see anything?" Oichi inquired as the pink balloon puffed out of the window, scanning the courtyard through squinted eyes. After a couple of seconds, the Fairy type let out a satisfied 'puff' and hovered towards Oichi, pointing out the window to a colourful bird who had begun to bathe in the large birdbath in the centre of the courtyard. Oichi turned around, about to head for the door when she spotted Yeo.

"O-oh, good morning La-" She stammered, clearly surprised at Yeo's appearance. Yeo smiled at Oichi and sighed. She must've told her about a million times the night before that there was no need for formalities in private, but Oichi clearly struggled in that department.

"Not really. They probably heard that all the way up in Dragnor." Oichi flinched at the name of the Dragon Kingdom. At first, Yeo had thought Oichi was simply scared of the threat of Nobunaga, but now she wasn't so sure. It was almost like she was hiding a secret of some sort, but Yeo decided to leave it at that. If Oichi wanted them to know, she'd tell them.

"I suppose you're right. At first, I thought it was an invasion, but now Jigglypuff is telling me that it was a-"

"A Chatot." Yeo finished. She recalled the day one of the servants had to retire after going deaf from the troublesome bird.

"Takanobu purchased it somewhere in the hopes of training it to go around the Kingdom to wake people up. It still has trouble with the concept of 'quiet' though." Oichi gave a genuine laugh before checking the time on the Dial. The Dial was said to be made with the combined efforts of Dragnor and Valora long ago when the Legendary Pokemon of Time appeared to the Warlords of the two Kingdoms. It was just half-past five. Oichi turned to the face the boys.

"Oh, my. That Chatot must've really been something. I'll try to fix this." Before Yeo could ask her how on earth she could fix a situation like this, she began to sing, and it was the most beautiful voice Yeo had heard since her mother's before she left on her travels. A sort of aura or sparkle seemed to engulf the six Pokemon in the room, and in moments, they recovered completely. Yeo looked on, amazed.

"How did you…?" Oichi laughed at the other girl's awestruck gaze.

"It's my Warrior Skill, Sweet Song. It can heal a Pokemon, but it's usually only effective on weaker Pokemon. I couldn't do much back over in-" Oichi paused abruptly. She had almost let her secret loose. "Nevermind." Yeo pondered for a moment on where Oichi could've hailed from. She definitely looked like she was from the east. Perhaps Elfrei. But why would she be ashamed of being an Elfrein? Yeo didn't know but left it alone.

"That's definitely gonna be helpful when we're in Ignis. Speaking of which, the Ponyta leave in an hour, so whaddaya say to waking these lazy 'warriors' up?" Oichi grinned and nodded.

"Okay, Jigglypuff, do your thing!" Jigglypuff pulled a mischievous face before silently puffing up to Kiyomasa. The young boy was still dazed after the Chatot's outburst. Without a second's hesitation, Jigglypuff smacked Kiyomasa across the face continuously until he had to hold the Pokemon away. To his frustration, Axew was in hysterics on the floor next to him. Oichi and Yeo were a laughing mess to the point where they thought they'd other three boys seemed to be oblivious to this.

"Eevee, you're next." Eevee ran over to Mitsunari and bit down on his arm. The young boy uttered a high pitched shriek and bolted upright. Eevee released her grip, and Yeo and Oichi were possessed by uncontrollable laughter once more. This time, the mayhem caused Masanori and Hiro to stir from their trances. Sandile rushed to his partner and bit down on his foot in a sign of affection. Masanori winced but patted Sandile on the head. He really hoped he'd stop doing that when he evolved.

"Alright, Hiro. We have an hour before the Mudsdale leave for Ignis, would you care to join us in preparations, or are you too busy sleeping?" Hiro let out an indistinct mumble before hopping out of bed.

"I think I've gone deaf," Hiro said, smacking his ear. Yeo sighed.

"Better get you to Audino then." She grabbed Hiro and pulled him along the large corridor outside the bedroom to the stairs. Once descended, she kicked the wooden doors which led to the back garden open with surprising force and led her half deaf brother into the lush garden filled with beautiful flowers and surrounded by a wrought iron fence. Many Bug and Grass-types were scattered around the place, feasting on certain plants and Pokemon food left in bowls for regular visitors. In the centre of the garden, a large gazebo housed an Audino. The pink Pokemon acted as a doctor and nurse to the residents of the castle and garden. The gazebo, about the size of a large bedroom, was host to a narrow bed and several types of food. Audino seemed relatively unharmed by the Boomburst which was surprising due to her extremely sensitive hearing. She sat Hiro down on the comfortable bed and her ears began to twitch as she examined his body. Eventually, she placed a three-digited hand on his ear. Just before she was about to attempt to heal Hiro's malady, her ears began to twitch again and she turned to the doors of the castle. Oichi emerged a few seconds later and paced over to the two.

"Is he all right?" She asked with a concerned tone. Yeo nodded.

"Audino was about to cure him." Oichi nodded and decided to explore the garden while she waited on the twins. A couple of Bounsweet were eating from a beautiful basin made of leaves, and Oichi paused to watch them for a few seconds. A single question had been agitating her since the night before, and it refused to surrender. Could they do it? Could Hiro and Yeo really gather an army powerful enough to take down Nobunaga? She didn't know, nor did she want to. She just hoped that at the time when the question would be answered, the answer would be yes.

Audino laid her hand on Hiro's head once more, this time confident they wouldn't be interrupted. She hadn't heard any more footsteps on the stairs, and there were no villagers approaching the castle. The men on the hill did seem suspicious though. A bright green light was released from her fingers and seemed to pour into Hiro's ear. The Heal Pulse took effect almost immediately, and before he knew it, Hiro could hear better than ever.

"Thanks, Audino." He said with a genuine smile before heading to return to the castle.

"How are we doing on time?" He asked his sister, unaware of Oichi wandering around the garden behind them.

"GASP! Hiro is inquiring about TIME!" She said in the most unbelievable surprised voice known to man. Hiro gave her a sour look.

"Five, forty." She said finally. Hiro nodded and shuddered. Was it just him, or was it cold outside despite the sun? He looked down and realised he was only wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of black boxers. No wonder it was freezing. At least Oichi wasn't there to-

"Oh, Hiro. Is your hearing better?" Hiro froze and turned to face the strawberry-haired girl approaching him. This was possibly the most embarrassing situation he'd experienced all year, and to make it worse, Yeo was standing next to him, feeding off his embarrassment like a vampire would feed on blood. He could almost feel her evil grin burning the back of his neck.

"Yeah, cleared my head up a bit too." Colour rose in his cheek. Oichi stared at him in a doubtful manner.

"Are you sure? You look a bit flustered." It took every bit of Yeo's self-restraint in order to not burst out laughing at this. Hiro knew this and insisted he was fine before returning to the warmth of the castle and miserably watching a few Grass-types play around with each other.

* * *

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"Hey, Kanbei, did you hear that?" Asked a young boy in white and blue robes with a white and yellow turban covering most of his messy, chestnut hair. The other visionary of Ignis dressed in all black with a literally white face and charcoal hair remained transfixed on the castle while answering.

"That was most definitely a Boomburst attack. The culprit, I'm not sure of." He uttered in a monotonous voice. Hanbei sighed, Pichu atop his turban as always. Why had Hideyoshi sent them out here? Couldn't he have sent Koroku or Nagayasu?

"I can't believe he sent us out here. I could've been sleeping in the castle at this moment!" With this, Hanbei yawned loudly and knelt against Rapidash. The flames that decorated the Rapidash's body were nice and warm. In fact, he felt he was about to fall asleep…

"They're in the back garden," Kanbei said once more. And indeed they were. They were barely specks of dust in the distance, but who else would be in the castle at that time of the morning? Hanbei sighed as Pichu awoke from his sleep, hopping onto the stationary Rapidash's neck where the flames sent him to sleep, their warmth a wonderful counter to the mountainous breezes which stung his ears.

"This is pointless. They'll come when they come, and when they do come, we can easily prepare a strategy to beat them. We're known as 'The Strategists of Ignis' for a reason." Kanbei gave a single nod in agreement. Without a moment's hesitation, the two turned around on their Rapidash and returned to Ignis Castle.

* * *

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At approximately six oh three, the warriors of Aurora's army gathered at the stables. The stables were home to about a dozen Mudbray and six Mudsdale, the latter of which awaited the six warriors patiently. Hiro and Yeo took the two Mudsdale in front while the Eevees rested in their laps. Oichi and Mitsunari took the third and fourth. Jigglypuff hopped onto Mudsdale's head while Pawniard sat behind Mitsunari, blades shining in the early morning sun. Lastly, Kiyomasa and Masanori took the last two Mudsdale, Axew sitting atop Mudsdale's head curiously and Sandile lying down on its neck. The six warriors were all set to invade Ignis and so the Mudsdale trotted honourably towards the mountain range where the Junior Warlords of Ignis had been waiting just minutes before.

"How long do you think it will take?" Yeo shouted to Hiro, anxious to get to Ignis quickly.

"I'd say half an hour max. The mountains are only ten minutes away, and the scale will be no problem for Mudsdale." Hiro patted his horse as he said this and the Mudsdale neighed proudly and began to speed up, jumping any obstacles in his path until he reached the base of the mountain range that separated the Normal Kingdom from the Fire Kingdom. His galloping slowed to a steady trot as he prepared to scale the mountains. Approximately five minutes later, six Mudsdale began to gallop down the other side of the mountain. Yeo, Hiro and Oichi grabbed the reins steadily. The other three began to yell in fear as the Mudsdale made magnificent jumps over jagged rocks. Axew clung to Kiyomasa's cloak, Sandile actually took refuge inside Masanori's and Pawniard gripped Mudsdale tightly around the abdomen. On the other hand, both Eevees and Jigglypuff had adopted a fighting stance, conscious of the possibility of a surprise attack. Suddenly, a flaming black ball soared over Masanori's head.

"IT'S THE APOCALYPSE! TURN AROUND BEFORE WE ALL DIE!" The twins turned their heads in the direction of where the flaming shot had come from. Atop a rugged hill, a young man in an orange tunic with steel plated armour all around him manned a catapult with a Litleo to his left, setting spheres of metal alight.

"Alright, you lot!" Yeo shouted, addressing the Mudsdale. "Avoid those cannonballs at all costs, or you're all fired! Literally!" All six Mudsdale began moving in erratic patterns and each catapult shot missed by at least ten feet. Oichi motioned for her Mudsdale to scale the hill which the catapult stood on. Hiro watched her with anxiety in his eyes. She reached the top and Jigglypuff leapt out of her hands and levitated one of the metal slugs with Psychic and brought it down on Litleo, knocking the lion cub out. Mudsdale acted next, kicking the catapult with its powerful hind legs. The catapult exploded into millions of splinters of wood. Hiro grinned. They were slowly approaching the castle which had grown from a tiny building in the distance to an intimidating building that was leering at them. Before long, five of them arrived at the front entrance of the castle, Oichi still lagging behind from her earlier excursion.

"So…" Kiyomasa said, breaking the awkward silence among them. "What now?"

"Well, now we go in of course!" Oichi said as she pulled up on Mudsdale and hopped off, walking towards the castle apprehensively. The other five all looked at each other cluelessly before Yeo shrugged her shoulders and followed her. The four boys did the same.

* * *

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"My Lord, there are six Aurorans approaching the castle. We need to respond immediately." Hideyoshi sat on his throne gazing out onto his kingdom. He had spotted the six warriors earlier, but he hadn't done much to stop them. He hadn't had a good fight in ages, so he allowed them to come close. Now they were trapped. He was the spider, they were the flies, and he was going to take Aurora by force.

"Come on, Chimchar. We got some warriors to beat! And you, go get Hanbei, Kanbei, Nagayasu, Koroku and Kaihime and tell them to head to the great hall immediately or they're all sentenced to death.." He said to the messenger as he left the room, racing down the stairs to greet his attackers.

* * *

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"This has to be their main hall; if there's a trap, this is where it will be," Oichi said as she closely examined every tile and every ornament that decorated the hall. Suddenly, six Magby and Larvesta dropped from the ceiling and engulfed the furniture in a blue light and left the room with the furniture. The hall was now as barren as the Terreran deserts. The Auroran warriors now stood in a small hexagon, watching every square inch of the room for any sign of movement when Hideyoshi walked through the door.

"Why, hello there! I see you've accidentally entered my castle. You'll be pleased to know that by the time you leave, your Pokemon will be ours and you will be locked in a basement!" Hideyoshi laughed wickedly as his two Junior Warlords entered the room. Hanbei yawned loudly and his Pichu hopped from his head.

"Just ignore-hore him. He never follows through on anything he says. The worst he'll do is annoy you to death." Kanbei remained emotionless while Hideyoshi scowled at Hanbei.

"That is no way to treat your Warlord, Hanbei. Now do your job and fight." Three more warriors entered the room, two familiar and one not to the twins who were completely confused by this eccentric man. She wore a crimson robe which exposed one shoulder and her long hair was a beautiful auburn which gave her quite a striking appearance. Nagayasu and Koroku glared at Yeo and Oichi who had sent them packing the day before. Everyone was ready to fight.

"Alright, then! To the battlefield!" Hideyoshi yelled. The twelve warriors and their Pokemon were warped away by a yellow light and suddenly they were standing on a rocky platform with hot springs scattered all around it. The rectangular platform was separated from another one by a shallow pool of lava that any Fire-type Pokemon could walk across with ease. Several large boulders served as stepping stones for Pokemon who were unable to walk on lava to get across the pool. The stones were arranged in a strange order.

The two twins stood at the edge of their platform with the rest of their army, stunned. The platform was hovering above an active volcano. Hideyoshi laughed at their dumbfoundment and Kanbei smirked. He had been the one who suggested they make their battlefield over the volcano and Hideyoshi loved the idea. Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori still stood there amazed.

"H-how did this happen?" Kiyomasa inquired. Oichi was the first to answer, still managing to surprise the twins.

"Every Kingdom has a battlefield which is usually used in invasions. When a new Warlord is appointed, the battlefield disappears until the new Warlord decides to create one. However, if a Kingdom is taken over by another Warlord, the battlefield remains the same. Usually, a battlefield is large enough to strategise without being overheard. As you can see, the opposing team is a good fifty feet away, and the volcano isn't exactly quiet." Oichi said as Jigglypuff hopped out of her arms and onto the rocky platform. Kiyomasa nodded slightly, still desperately confused. He decided to return to the subject later and instead focused on completing the objective. Hiro was still confused as to how she knew so much.

"Alright, so what's the plan, you two?" Masanori yelled. Sandile had begun to examine the Pokemon on the other side of the field. They were mostly Pokemon he could deal with, the exception being Timburr. Mitsunari answered in place of the twins, who were still analysing the opponents.

"I say we all play to our advantages so we can deal big damage quickly. Hideyoshi is clearly the strongest opponent on their side of the field, so capitalise on him. He'll be a big threat. Yeo should go for him. I'll try to get Litwick, I've got a type advantage over him. Hiro, try to get the Cubone. Your Eevee's more of a ranged attacker, so it'll be easy as long as you keep your distance. Oichi, you should go for Timburr. If I recall, Jigglypuff did a great number on him last time. Kiyo, try to get Darumaka. If its moveset hasn't changed that much since yesterday, you'll have no problem. Masanori, attack Pichu. Pichu won't be able to do much to your Sandile, so as long as you can land a hit or two on it, you'll be fine. Now let's go!"

The six Pokemon leapt into action, the Eevees leading the pack across the stepping stones. Kanbei nodded to Litwick who disappeared from sight momentarily and appeared moments later in the centre of the lava, launching a Flamethrower attack at Jigglypuff who barely managed to float out of the way before the beam of fire blocked the path of Sandile, Axew and Pawniard. The two Eevees and Jigglypuff grimaced as the five other opponents closed in on them with Chimchar and Darumaka deciding to race through the pool of lava.

"Masanori, get Sandile to douse the flames, and quickly!" Mitsunari shouted. Masanori sneered at Mitsunari in a "you're not the boss of me" manner but commanded Sandile to use Mud Slap on the flames, reducing them to little more than embers. Pawniard and Axew followed Sandile as they crossed the stone. The twins were the next to act and they were suddenly encased by a bright yellow light as their Warrior Skill activated, allowing the Eevees to lunge over the opposing party with their newfound speed. Axew followed suit, using Aerial Ace to soar over the three enemy Pokemon. Now out of range, the Auroran army had to rely on Link communication to command their Pokemon.

Timburr lunged for Pawniard, log in hand about to use Low Sweep which would most definitely KO Pawniard. Jigglypuff acted quickly, using Psychic to raise Timburr off the ground momentarily so Pawniard could retaliate. The Steel-type leapt up into the air and struck Timburr with a Metal Claw attack to the leg. Pawniard felt a momentary power boost as his blades grew sharper. Sandile leapt up to give finish off Timburr with a Crunch, but a sudden burst of flames struck him in the abdomen and he flew down. Hiro's Eevee turned to Litwick, the culprit of the Flame Burst and launched a Shadow Ball at him. Kanbei frowned as the murky blob struck his Litwick and the candle Pokemon went flying through the air and landed with a small splash in the middle of the lava pool. Hiro turned to the fellow Aurorans.

"We need to single them out, or this fight won't end well. I suggest trying to lure them to their platform." Kiyomasa grinned mysteriously.

"Leave that to us." He said and motioned for Axew to move. The Dragon-type wagged her tail at the opposing party, and suddenly all five of the Pokemon apart from Pichu were focused on Axew. A risky move, but it did what was needed to be done. Pawniard and Sandile faced Pichu with menacing poses. The Pichu, although very cunning and strong, decided going up against these two alone would not end well and so retreated to the Ignesian side of the platform where Axew was about to experience a plethora of abuse thrown at it from all angles. Chimchar acted first, jumping at Axew from ten feet away. The chimp Pokemon performed an impressive 180 mid-leap and struck Axew with one foot. Axew tumbled backwards, but managed to intercept the next Double Kick with a Dual Chop. Next came Darumaka, fangs engulfed in flames. Axew brought a tail coated in water forward and intercepted the while sending it soaring through the sky simultaneously. Nagayasu began to grin and Yeo knew what was coming next. She roared to Eevee through their link to intercept Darumaka before it could land, but before she knew it, Pichu was upon Eevee, his small fist crackling with electricity.

"Sorry, hon." Hanbei shouted with a wink in Yeo's direction. "We don't spare ladies here in Ignis." Yeo snarled as Eevee was

with a

Punch to the underbelly and was launched upwards through the air before landing on a high up ledge with a resounding thud. Hideyoshi grinned as he caught Chimchar's eye and pointed to Eevee. It was clear what he wanted. Chimchar gave a single jump and reached the high ledge where Eevee had landed, a feat that many Hitmonlee would struggle with. The chimp's ability must've been Mountaineer. Mitsunari then decided to engage the plan.

"Quick, everyone attack your targets!" He yelled so the Aurorans could hear him. They all nodded as if a single organism and rushed to the edge of the lava which was a better viewpoint. Communicating via link, the warriors ordered their partners and all moved nearly instantly.

Sandile who was gripping the edge of a rock pulled himself up and sprinted for Pichu who was racing for the ledge where Eevee was. The second he reached the rocky platform, he dug into the ground and burrowed directly beneath Pichu who was beginning to climb his way up the ledge. Sandile burst up from the ground like a torpedo and grabbed Pichu's tail between his teeth and yanked the Electric mouse down, slamming him into the ground before landing on him and following up with a Crunch attack. Hanbei gritted his teeth, his brain attempting to find a way out of this situation. Just as Sandile was about to finish the mouse off, it came to him.

"Go for the mouth!" He yelled. Pichu knew what he meant and put every ounce of power in his tiny body directly into his right fist, smashing it into Sandile's mandible. The Reversal attack did a massive number on Sandile as the crocodile flipped through the air and landed in the center of the battlefield. Masanori cried out in surprise as he saw Sandile smash into the ground, unconscious. However, it was far too dangerous to hop over to the field in the middle of all the combat, so he remained where he was.

Chimchar lunged at Eevee, performing a similar stunt as he did back with Axew and Yeo called desperately for Eevee to get up. Eevee barely heard Yeo's cries and rolled quickly to the side, dodging Chimchar's kicks in the process. Eevee momentarily caught Chimchar's eye and made a last resort act. The fox winked at Chimchar. Chimchar paused as several hearts flew from Eevee to Chimchar. The Attract attack took effect almost immediately, and Chimchar sat down in front of Eevee, mesmerised.

"CHIMCHAR, NO!" Hideyoshi cried, clasping his golden helmet in his two hands. However, it was too late. Eevee moved in, massive fangs appearing in front of her as she bit down on Chimchar. The Fire-type Pokemon soared through the air, but Eevee pursued him. She was momentarily a blur to all onlookers as she collided with Chimchar mid-air, the Quick Attack doing a respectable amount of damage. Chimchar landed on his back on the rocky floor as Eevee moved in to finish the battle, tail a bright silver. The Iron Tail attack connected with Chimchar's head registering him unconscious. Hideyoshi cried out in dismay as Yeo threw her fist into the air in celebration. Following the unconscious Chimchar, Eevee felt a massive burst of energy as her ability kicked in. Celebration allowed her to speed towards Pichu, once more a blur to all who saw her. Before Hanbei could register what was occurring before his very eyes, Pichu had collided with the wall which he had tried to climb just moments before and was rendered unconscious.

"Sorry, hon. We don't spare rats over in Aurora." Hanbei laughed despite both himself and Hideyoshi's death glare. Yeo grinned as she made eye contact with Eevee. Suddenly, a grey figure entered her peripheral vision and before she could warn Eevee, Timburr was upon the fox, log in hand. Yeo's eyes widened as she tried to warn Eevee, but it was too late. The log came down from Timburr's hands, heading for Eevees head and then it was engulfed in a blue light once more. Yeo looked over in surprise at Jigglypuff who had Hiro's Eevee backing it up as it focused on protecting Yeo's Eevee from the Fighting-type which threatened it. Timburr turned around surprised and in that moment, Yeo made eye contact with Oichi. The strawberry-haired girl nodded to her and Yeo knew what to do.

"Quick Attack, Eevee!" She yelled from the other side of the pool. Eevee moved forward without hesitation, striking Timburr's muscular body. The log which it had been holding moments before turned back at an angle, and as Timburr flew towards it Jigglypuff brought it forward and it smacked Timburr in the ribs. The Fighting-type was launched through the air and landed directly next to Pichu's, unconscious. The odds were in their favour as Jigglypuff and Eevee returned to Hiro's Eevees side. The three Pokemon fended off Litwick and Darumaka while Pawniard and Axew were attempting to beat back Cubone. For the first time, the twins looked at Kaihime in her beautiful crimson dress. She had remained quiet this entire match, but her Cubone seemed to be very skilled. The Ground-type was dealing with Axew and Pawniard excellently considering the two-on-one situation. The twins couldn't help but admire both her elegance and her Cubone.

"Damn, she's good," Hiro said louder than intended. While Yeo, Oichi and Masanori nodded in agreement, Mitsunari and Kiyomasa glared at him. Hiro shrugged guiltily before returning to the battle. Yeo's Eevee and Jigglypuff were ganging up on Litwick while Hiro's Eevee was keeping Darumaka at bay from about five feet away with many ranged attacks. Kanbei was completely lost to the outside world. His only focus was the battle and how to escape the situation Litwick was trapped in. Suddenly, his mouth formed a mysterious grin as he thought of quite a good plan.

"Flame Burst." He said quietly, but loud enough for Litwick to hear. The candle Pokemon released a thick purple flame which exploded between Eevee and Jigglypuff, sending both Pokemon flying. Suddenly, Litwick vanished from sight. Once the smoke cleared, he appeared behind Eevee. Before Hiro could shout a warning, A Flamethrower collided with the brown Pokemon, singing his tail as well as causing a severe amount of damage. Hiro smacked his fist off the floor as Darumaka closed the distance between Eevee and itself. The Fire-type smashed its head into Eevee. The Headbutt attack was powerful enough to knock Eevee out. Slowly, the Ignesian army was making a comeback.

Cubone utilised her bone magnificently, fending off Pawniard's sharp claws with it as well as Axew's tusks. However, Kaihime was aware of Jigglypuff and Eevee closing in on Darumaka and Litwick. With three swift movements, she activated her Warrior Skill, Fortify and Cubone's defense was raised. Cubone took the cue and hurled her bone at an angle, striking Axew's tusk and knocking the Dragon-type on her side. Suddenly, Cubone was lying on the ground, staring at the ashy sky above the volcano. She gave three mighty belts to her stomach. The Belly Drum attack caused her great pain, but her attack was now maximised. As she got up, she saw Pawniard leaping at her. She stood there, unfazed as her bone returned to her, clubbing the Steel-type over the head. Pawniard hit the floor, now in pain. Mitsunari turned to Kiyomasa.

"Get away from that Cubone" Kiyomasa nodded and ordered Axew to grab Pawniard and retreat to Eevee and Jigglypuff's side. She obeyed, grabbing Pawniard's leg and racing towards the other two Pokemon. Once Pawniard was safely thrown behind Jigglypuff and Eevee, Nagayasu smirked. In a brilliant flash of yellow light, Nagayasu's Warrior Skill activated and Darumaka's attack was increased. Axew and Eevee snarled; Cubone was approaching and Darumaka was now twice as powerful as he had been at the start of the battle. Mitsunari's brain went to work, desperately trying to think up of a strategy. Litwick and Darumaka on their own would be simple enough, but with Cubone in the picture, they were sure to lose. The only option was to escape from Cubone, but how on earth would they…?

"Yeo, Kiyo, get Axew and Eevee back to our side. I have a plan. Oichi, Pawniard will distract the other three and then you have to act. Jigglypuff needs to use Psychic to block Cubone from crossing the lava. Move one of the rocks or something. Now, let's go!" Despite two out ranking him and one despising his bossiness, the three warriors proceeded to obey Mitsunari's orders without hesitation. With a quick spin, Eevee departed from the perpendicular platform with Quick Attack, leaping from boulder to boulder with ease. Axew followed, dampening his tail in case he was obstructed. Kanbei, Kaihime and Nagayasu watched them with confusion and agitation. If it was a chase they wanted, it was a chase they'd get.

Pawniard rose from the hard floor of rock and examined the area around him.

(attack)

Litwick was in front of him, flame blazing in the direction of something else.

(attack, attack)

Darumaka was also facing another direction. That was strange, he remembered seeing

(attack, attack, attack)

Cubone just a few seconds before he-

(attack)

There she was, approaching him, bone clasped firmly in her right hand. There was something strange about the situation though...

(attack, attack)

It was almost as if there was a voice in the back of his head, urging him

(attack, attack, attack)

On to do something

(attack)

but what it was he had to do

(attack, attack)

was not

(attack, attack, attack)

yet clear

(ATTACK GODDAMN YOU)

"CU-" The Ground-type cried out as Pawniard's metal claws dug into her tough skull, clanging loudly. It was just enough to distract Litwick who was about to launch an array of Acid at Jigglypuff who was rising the rock. Kaihime realised what was happening and Cubone threw herself up. The sky was now a deep purple indicating the rise of the moon. Cubone felt a powerful instinct come over her and clubbed Pawniard in the face with her bone, not an attack but enough to knock the Pawniard away from her. Axew and Eevee were now hopping from rock to rock, returning to their own side of the field and the warriors were retreating to the edge once more. Jigglypuff gave one last massive heave and suddenly, the boulder was flying through the air heading straight for Cubone as Jigglypuff fell to the floor. Pawniard pulled himself from the floor once more

And hurled himself at Cubone with the last bit of his fading energy. Cubone looked more curious than afraid. She grabbed a decent sized rock from the floor and threw it into the air, clubbing it with her bone and it struck the boulder. The massive rock changed route and fell directly downwards, landing with a loud 'crash' on top of Pawniard who was inches away from Cubone. With a bash from Cubone's head, the rock broke in two. Iron Head was super effective on Rock types, after all. She approached the lava's edge, seemingly stuck. Suddenly, a heavenly sound breached her ears.

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"Nicely done, Hanzo. Your actions will benefit our cause greatly. The surprise attack worked very well. We now have the entire military force of Eastern Ransei to wage war against the behemoths that stand in our way. We will crush them as easily as a Machamp would crush a Geodude." Nobunaga stood in front of his throne, addressing the ninja who knelt before him. Behind Hanzo stood sixteen warriors, all either Warlords or Junior Warlords of the eight Kingdoms of Eastern Ransei. New additions from the seize of Yaksha and Cragspur were Ujiyasu and Kai of Cragspur as well as Kotaro and Jinnai of Yaksha. It was true that Nobunaga had surmounted sixteen of the most exceptional warriors the East had to offer, but that didn't change the fact That Shingen, Kenshin or even Koshosho alone could easily dispose of any four of them (bar himself of course) with ease. With Junior Warlords in the picture, Yukimura's Charizard was capable of creating some of the hottest flames known to man. Kunoichi was far more cunning than Hanzo and just as stealthy. It was said her Weavile had reflexes only matched bt the Creator Himself. Kanetsugu's Alakazam could destroy several tonnes of metal with a single Psychic attack and Aya's Froslass had once frozen an entire battalion. Naotora had charmed a tribe of wild rebels before having Florges murder them all ruthlessly. He was absolutely terrified of all of them, and he knew that all three of them would have formed an alliance of some sort against him. If he entered Terrera, Kenshin and Koshosho could easily surround him. If he attacked Illusio, Shingen would undoubtedly corner him by moving into Cragspur. Elfrei was out of the question. There were rumours about the power of Koshosho's Ninetales reaching incredible levels. All in all, Nobunaga was at a loss at what to do, but he couldn't let

know that.

"Your reward shall arrive at Viperia's castle in about two days. Now, you are all dismissed bar Ranmaru, Mitsuhide, Ieyasu and No." Twelve warriors departed from the large throne room to return to their own kingdoms. Four figures remained, staring up at the throne which had been engraved with Onyx from Yaksha and Fluorite from Cragspur. No was dressed in her signature purple and black outfit. Ieyasu was fitted with steel plated armour, blue robes underneath and a crown which had the blade of a sword sticking out of the top. Mitsuhide was fitted in dark blue robes and a golden arm plate decorated with an expensive blue fabric depicting the Nixtorm coat of arms. Lastly, Ranmaru stood in his royal blue shirt with large golden diamonds protruding from the arm openings, a white vestment covering his torso and back. They dropped to their knees in a bow when Nobunaga turned to face them. His most trusted allies were the only people he could inform of his predicament.

"As you know, we have conquered Eastern Ransei with ease. All eight Warlords are now fighting for our army, and I have arrangements to meet with another peculiar man soon enough. However, I'm sure you're all aware of the wall that prevents us from breaking into Western Ransei. Shingen, Kenshin and Koshosho are all powerful warriors and each have the power within their Kingdoms to give us a fight for our lives. Although I'm confident we could defeat them one at a time, it is incredibly likely that they will have formed...an alliance of some sort. If we attack Illusio, Shingen will quickly move into Avia and corner us in. If we attack Elfrei, Shingen will move into Yaksha and Kenshin will take over Cragspur and Viperia, and if we were to attack Terrera...well let me say, I know a suicidal battle when I see one. What I need you to do is to search. It is rumoured that in four Kingdoms which we control, there are four powerful Pokemon, and I am about to entrust you with objects which will assist you in discovering these Pokemon."

Nobunaga descended the steps that raised his throne off the ground and walked behind his throne. With the stroke of a long finger, a cabinet opened concealed in the back of the throne. It was practically invisible unless you knew what to look for. Nobunaga grabbed eight strangely coloured crystals, each emitting a strange sort of power from the cabinet. He shut the compartment with his elbow and returned to the front of the throne. As he strolled towards the four warriors, they couldn't help feeling a chill run down their spine. Even

"To my most faithful ally and my Junior Warlord, I bestow the Justice Crystal. With it, you will undoubtedly discover a Pokemon that will serve you as faithfully as you serve me." A blue crystal with spots of yellow decorating it fell from Nobunaga's hand into Ranmaru's. The young boy felt momentarily entranced by the crystal. It felt cold in his hands, like steel.

"To my successor, should anything happen to me in the castle, I bestow the Glacial Crystal. Perhaps with it, the Pokemon of the blizzard ravaged mountains of Nixtorm will come to you." The crystal met Mitsuhide's skin and he almost dropped it due to its coldness. He bowed once more and fitted it into a pocket in his blue robes.

"To my most noble and magnanimous person I know, I give the Union Crystal. Soon, the Pokemon hidden in Valora may stumble upon the outside world." Ieyasu accepted the crystal. It was very smooth and was the colour of stainless steel. Ieyasu admired the pattern of red dots in the centre of the crystal.

"To my beautiful wife, I bestow the Crescent Crystal. With it, you may encounter the spirit of the moon." Nobunaga handed Nō a deep purple crystal with golden lines decorating the edges.

"The Warlords of your Kingdom's are to meet with me at exactly five in the evening tomorrow. If they are late, these crystals will be shattered." The three Warlords of Nixtorm, Valora and Spectra departed from the castle. Nobunaga quickly dismissed Ranmaru and returned to his throne to ponder.

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All heads turned to Oichi as she sang a beautiful melody to the Auroran Pokemon. Axew and Eevee suddenly felt relieved of any damage as they reached their platform. Litwick and Darumaka had dashed for the lava in pursuit of them. Jigglypuff quickly opened her eyes and shot up from the ground. She quickly raised several pieces of rock from the floor in case she needed to defend herself. To her surprise, Darumaka and Litwick had pursued Eevee and Axew, but that could only mean…

"Cubone, behind you!" Jigglypuff's blue eyes met Cubone's black ones through the Ground-type's skull. This would be a show. Jigglypuff launched the several sharp stones towards Cubone and quickly prepared a Disarming Voice attack, yelling loudly in the direction of Cubone. She was quick to respond, raising her bone and performing what looked like an exotic dance as she crushed every single stone. Even Hideyoshi looked on impressed questioning why Kaihime hadn't tried for Junior Warlord. Then the Disarming Voice struck and Cubone was knocked onto her back. Jigglypuff took her chance and leapt into the air, floating over the gap between the rocks and the lava. Cubone flung herself off the floor, bone clutched in her right hand. The bone flew from her hand, travelling through the air like a cyclone of marrow. Jigglypuff braced herself, preparing for the worst. The whooshing of the Bonemerang attack grew louder in her ears. To her surprise, she found herself opening her eyes. The bone became engulfed in a thick, blue light. With a powerful burst of energy, she veered it off course and the bone catapulted over her head with extreme force. Oichi gave a sigh of relief as Jigglypuff landed safely on the floor. Cubone wasn't too threatening now.

"Alright, we need to focus on Litwick. The only reason Darumaka isn't down yet is Kanbei's strategic plays." Yeo yelled to Oichi and Kiyomasa. The two nodded. However, the inconvenient truth was that Axew and Eevee had no way of approaching Litwick who was currently in a blistering pool of lava. A plan began to form in Oichi's mind.

"Yeo, Eevee can use Attract, right?" Oichi asked, her eyes not leaving Litwick the entire time. The brunette nodded, starting to catch on to what Oichi was planning.

"Have Eevee use Attract on Litwick. Kiyomasa, you make sure Darumaka can't disrupt Eevee's attack. I'll take it from there." Kiyomasa uttered a quick 'yes ma'am' and set to work. Axew locked eyes with Litwick as Eevee pulled a flirtatious expression. Jigglypuff engulfed the same boulder as she had earlier in a blue light once more. Litwick backtracked, desperate to get away from Eevee's tantalising gaze, but couldn't help feeling anything other than infatuation. Suddenly, a massive boulder smashed into his rear and suddenly he was rocketed towards Eevee. A massive set of razor sharp fangs appeared in front of Eevee's face. They opened and closed very quickly, trapping Litwick and knocking the candle Pokemon out.

"Damn, Yeo. Eevee's turning out to be a bit of a black widow, eh?" Yeo laughed at his remark but motioned Eevee on towards Darumaka who was now engaged in combat with Darumaka. A lightning-fast Quick Attack sent the red Pokemon stumbling towards Axew who finished the fight with an Aqua Tail.

"Quick, Axew, get over to Jigglypuff! You too, Eevee!" Axew quickly raced over to Jigglypuff. Hearing the urgency in his voice, so did Eevee despite not being linked to Kiyomasa in the slightest. Both Pokemon were soon next to Jigglypuff on a large boulder. A lime-green light emanated from Kiyomasa and suddenly, his Warrior Skill's light flew from his own body to Axew's. The Empathy healed Axew's minor scratches from the fight with Darumaka as well as Jigglypuff's lack of energy. Eevee hadn't been damaged since the Sweet Song so she wasn't affected. That was the second time Jigglypuff was saved by a Warrior Skill that day.

"So I don't mean to sound discouraging or anything, but how are we supposed to get over there as a group?" Oichi grinned.

"I hope Axew doesn't have vertigo." She said mysteriously. Suddenly, a brilliant blue light engulfed Axew. Jigglypuff puffed up, jumping into the air and floating over the lava once more. Cubone prepared her bone, about to fling it at Axew when suddenly, a small mass collided with her midsection. Cubone flew backwards, the effects of Fortify wearing off. Eevee had used Quick Attack to jump the gap between the boulders and the lava. Jigglypuff landed gracefully followed by Axew who she lowered to the ground. It was now three against one. Cubone flipped up off the ground and faced her adversaries. This would be the most intense fight of her life.

Jigglypuff acted first. A piercing song emanated from her mouth and entered Cubone's ears. The Round attack reverberated throughout her skull mask for extra damage and Cubone fell to the floor, blocking her ears with her hands. Axew and Eevee took their chance, both rushing towards Cubone. Eevee's tail had gained an iron coating and Axew's had become drenched with water. Both attacks struck Cubone's stomach. The time it took for Cubone to collapse was too fast for her reaction to be heard. Aurora had won.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Hideyoshi yelled, absolutely fuming as they returned to Ignis Castle. He stormed over towards Yeo. His face had turned redder than the lava on the battlefield and it was clear he was about to let out his rage. Axew clenched her fists and leapt up, striking Hideyoshi twice in the stomach with Dual Chop.

"THIS. IS. NOT. THE. END!" He yelled as he ran from the building, Chimchar chasing after him as well as Koroku and Nagayasu. The three Ignesian Warriors that remained were Hanbei, Kanbei and Kaihime. Yeo and Hiro eyed them wearily. Their reaction caused Hanbei to laugh.

"We aren't here to fight anymore. You beat us fair and square. Kanbei and I were talking it over while you all battled it out. We'd like to join your army, it'd probably be less tiring than roaming the place like nomads. Isn't that right Kanbei?" Kanbei grunted.

"Talk to me that condescendingly again and you might find a few fingers broken." The six Auroran warriors laughed. Hiro caught Yeo's eye and they both nodded. Refusing Hanbei and Kanbei would be quite a stupid thing to do considering their brains on the battlefield earlier.

"Yeah, sure. You guys can join us, the more the merrier!" Hiro exclaimed. Hanbei and Kanbei nodded, deciding to walk over to their new teammates. Hanbei struck up a conversation with Oichi and the two headed for the exit while Kanbei wandered off to somewhere else in the castle. The three stooges being Mitsunari, Masanori and Kiyomasa departed the castle, probably heading for Aurora again. That left Kaihime and the twins. Yeo cocked her head to the side and looked at her curiously.

"So what's your story, do you wanna join us? We'd be grateful to have you, especially with your incredible skill. Kaihime stared up at the sun. It was midday. She took a good fifteen seconds to respond, and when she spoke, her voice was of an angel's.

"For now, I will travel around Ransei. I need a break from this battling to bond with Cubone through dance. Once I feel ready to battle again, I will come to you and fight in the name of Aurora." And with that, she departed. It would be a long time before Yeo and Hiro would see her again. Now that they had finished up, the twins departed the castle. They decided eventually to say at Ignis that night but sent a messenger back to Aurora to let the citizens know they had triumphed.

Under the light of a full-moon, Kaihime trained. Cubone had successfully warded off a pack of bandits who had attempted to kidnap her and something extraordinary happened. A yellow light engulfed Cubone, and out of the yellow light emerged a black Marowak. Her bone had adopted two eerie turquoise flames on each end. When she returned to Aurora, she would certainly be of great assistance.

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Under the setting sun, Nobunaga was standing in the courtyard of Dragnor castle. Before him stood Mitsuhide and Gracia of Nixtorm, Nō and Okuni of Spectra and Ieyasu, Tadakatsu and Ina of Valora. Nobunaga had the four crystals which he had saved for the Junior Warlords with him and had called the Junior Warlords to his castle because he needed them to find these Pokemon or his conquest would end in disaster. First, he called Gracia to his side.

"To the young and impressionable Gracia, I bestow the Emotion Crystal. With it, you may find a powerful Pokemon of myth." Gracia walked up to Nobunaga, trembling slightly. Gothorita stood beside her, holding the girl's hand.

"Th-thank you, Lord Nobunaga." She stammered before returning to her father's side. Next, Nobunaga called Okuni to his side.

"You shall take this Victory Crystal, and with any luck, you shall find the mythical Pokemon of victory which will help us in our cause." Okuni strolled up to him and took the crystal in her hands. She smiled kindly and thanked him and returned to Nō's side. Tadakatsu was next.

"To the loyal and powerful Tadakatsu. Take this Warrior Crystal and you shall find a Pokemon as mighty as you are." Tadakatsu who was even taller than Nobunaga at an astounding 6'6 walked with confidence. The appearance of Tadakatsu on any battlefield would send a shiver down anyone's spine. He grabbed the crystal and nodded to Nobunaga in thanks before returning to Ieyasu's side. Finally, Nobunaga called Ina to him.

"To the mighty and elegant Ina, I gift you with the Purity Crystal. You will find a Pokemon as beautiful and prideful as you are with its assistance." Nobunaga returned to the centre of the courtyard. The eyes of every living creature in the large yard were upon him.

"While searching for the Pokemon bonded to these crystals, I expect you to train vigorously. These Pokemon will only show themselves to the worthy, and as much as I believe in your skills as warriors, their standards are much, much higher. You all have the ability to find these Pokemon, so bring out the best in yourself and your partners and be ready for when they come. You are all dismissed." Nobunaga returned to the castle. Ranmaru had spent most of the last day on the battlefield, aiming to improve his and Riolu's skill so the Pokemon which had created his crystal would come to him. Meanwhile, Nobunaga retired to his master bedroom where he kept his most secret treasures and books. There was a certain Pokemon he knew of that would benefit him greatly if he could find it.

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Hiya there peoples. Back with chapter 3. Would've been up sooner, but secondary school is a bitdnsch. Hopefully, I'll get another chapter up by next Sunday. I have next week off. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading. Sorry if anything is rushed, but I don't have time to proofread more than once, so apologies. See y'all next time or whatever.


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